07-02-2025
Glasson's New Campaign Tells Us Exactly Who Is And Isn't Allowed In Their Store
Warning: This article deals with an account of an eating disorder and mentions of body image that could be triggering for some readers.
At age eight, I remember the humiliation of telling my aunt, who had taken me shopping, that the third pair of jeans I had tried on didn't fit. She was kind and loving, merely grabbing a larger size and handing it to me.
But looking at the people in the store, the thought that a size that had once fit now didn't, slowly made me hate shopping for clothes.
I'm 22 now, and my relationship with in-person shopping has waxed and waned over the years.
I can give you several reasons for my complicated relationship with shopping for clothes and, in particular, shopping for them at the big fast-fashion retailers like Glassons, Supré and Cotton On — my eating disorder
Sohan Judge / BuzzFeed
I've been healing from it for over a decade, navigating comments from people close to me about my body and general diet culture.
I can also look up what kind of campaigns these retailers have been running for decades.
The impact of those posters, those thin, white beautiful women with flat stomachs and the 'oh so desirable' thigh gap, made me hate my brown skin, my belly fat and made me question whether any of the clothes in that store were meant for me.
In the past 4 years, my shopping experience has changed, not because these stores have changed, but because I simply don't shop there anymore.
Depop and thrift stores are my go-to stores.
While sustainability is a key factor in my decision, the reality is that even as a straight-sized woman, every time I'm in one of those stores, even just for a friend, I feel like an outcast.
You see, adding a few people of colour or mid and plus-size people in ads cannot mask the fact that these brands do not care about inclusivity.
@glassons
Getting our steps in at our Bondi Junction store in NEW IN Active 👟 Shop online and in store now #glassons
♬ WHO IS VICTORIA - the golden era models
Via
These feelings were reaffirmed last week when the TikTok of Glasson's new activewear campaign appeared on my feed.
The TikTok features two straight-sized models on a walking pad outside Glasson's store in Bondi Junction. It features a Victoria's Secret audio and is captioned 'Getting our steps in at our Bondi Junction store in NEW IN Active.'
TikTok @glassons / Via
Watching this felt like I was 13 again — like I was being sold the idea that we could like the women on the cover, the standards of beauty, if we wore the same clothes, if we ate the same food, if we exercised the same way.
Comments under the TikTok reflect similar sentiments of disappointment and fear of regressing to the past, with one saying, 'Love your clothes, but it's really reentering the early 2000's thinspo. Fine line queens, let's be conscious x.'
Maggie Zhou posted a TikTok saying that by showcasing these models on the walking pad, Glassons is signalling to its customers that "fit equals thin."
@maggie_zhou
#stitch with @Glassons trust fast fashion brands when they show you who they are 🫢 #fastfashion #glassons #australianfashion #fashiontok #fastfashionsucks
♬ original sound - Maggie Zhou
Zhou is a slow fashion advocate discussing the importance of inclusivity and sustainability in the fashion industry.
In the TikTok, she states, "This is why fast fashion always leaves you wanting more, it's about comparison, about having the newest thing..."
@maggie_zhou
"Like think about it, are they trying to sell you their plastic clothes, they're trying to sell you on aspiration."
The comments on TikTok are in full agreement, with one user saying, 'Maybe it's nice for them to say it with their chest – Glassons only ever have XS/S on the floor — they only want skinny girls wearing their clothes.'
When I chatted with Zhou, she said, 'Glassons' activewear campaign felt like an out-of-touch byproduct of diet culture."
"Straight-sized models were made to walk on treadmills outside their store — what message does that send? To me, showcasing one body type suggests that this is who they think fitness is for, and this is how you should look in their activewear.'
I asked April Hélène-Horton, aka Bodzilla about her thoughts on Glassons' campaign and marketing from similar retailers.
Instagram @thebodzilla @popsugarau / Via
Hélène-Horton was the first plus-size bikini model to appear on Australian billboards. She is a queer woman-of-colour, advocating for body acceptance and fat positivity.
'To be completely honest I wouldn't even step foot into these stores — between my pursuit of ethical and sustainable consumption and feeling totally unwanted, I can't see a reason to give them my money,' she said.
And if you thought their marketing was bad, even going to the store as a straight-sized person vs. a plus-sized person can make a vast difference in how the staff treats you.
The feeling of being 'unwanted' mentioned by Hélène-Horton is something many customers have said.
A TikTok by user SerenaJavaid3 states, "POV: Ur struggling to fit into the biggest size at Glassons they start playing this song to remain inclusive."
@serenajavaid3
Do they really love big girls though 🤨 #glassons
♬ original sound - Serena
Via
Of course, Glassons is not the only issue. For years, several fast-fashion retailers in Australia have been called out for years for their lack of size inclusivity.
Instagram @sohanjudge / Via
In the article, Judge says, 'Even though I don't represent the entire "plus-size" identity as a size 14/16, my experience of shopping in-store has been deeply dehumanising.'
Sohan Judge / BuzzFeed
'But what really got me was when I was in General Pants recently and realised that the issue went beyond brands not making larger will actually refuse to stock them, even if the brand is already making them.'
When I asked Judge whether she had noticed any changes from when she wrote that piece in 2022 to now, in 2025, she said that she has 'noticed more stores (including Glassons) stocking up to a size 16.'
BuzzFeed
However, she once again noted that these sizes are 'usually only available online.'
'Last time I went to the shopping centre, I was told (at Cotton On) that they did stock larger sizes but had none in-store (even though it was a HUGE store with plenty of stock).'
BuzzFeed/Angeline Barion
'That leaves us to go online to shop, which defeats the purpose of being able to try the clothes on.'
'Generally, it feels like stores will be ever-so-slightly more size-inclusive to tick a box, but it's so performative because they'll either have low stock or no stock.'
BuzzFeed
In her experience of reaching out to brands regarding their limited size range, Judge has been told it is due to a lack of demand.
However, Judge notes that she has still not seen genuine size inclusivity in marketing.
Instagram: @sohanjudge
'We've progressed a little bit, but it's so minimal that in all honesty, I've given up on in real life shopping — I stick to buying online or slower small brands that are way more size-inclusive and approachable.'
Zhou echoed the same sentiment regarding the increased barriers plus-size people face when shopping in stores, saying, 'Often their sizes aren't available on the shop floor, and they aren't reflected in e-commerce and marketing imagery.'
So how do we move forward? Our consumption habits ultimately influence market demand, so the more of us shift to such brands and second-hand shopping, the more of a signal we send to these retailers that inclusion and sustainability are priorities for us.
Instagram: @faytlabel
Understandably, it can be difficult to find hope in a fast fashion economy that prioritises profits over people. But there are some great stores out there that are championing inclusivity.
Bodzilla says 'If I was buying something new, I'd shop STAX and Mama Movement — in the past have also liked pieces from DK Active and Active Truth as well.'
All those brands stock sizes 6-24.
Sohan's current favourite brands, which she finds fit her well as a size 16, are Katharina Lou (sizes 6 to XXXL), Dyspnea (sizes 6 to 24, with custom sizing available), and Apres Studio (6 to 16 but state they 'offer extended sizing and fit customisations on most styles).
Instagram: @katharinalouu
Zhou recommends browsing A Plus Market, which is a plus-size fashion market.
Other brands include Warp + Weft (sizes 00 to 24) and Kuwaii (sizes 6 to 22).
It takes one second to pause before you are at that checkout, or before you even enter the store to consider whether they represent the values of inclusivity and consideration that I know are important to many of us.
Next time you're freshening up your wardrobe, think about who you're supporting and whether or not they're supporting you and your community. And if you know of any other Aussie brands who champion size inclusivity, drop them in the comments below.
